Madam, - I have attended many international soccer matches at Lansdowne Road over the years and have many fond memories of the place. I recall a tremendous 2-1 over Yugoslavia a few years ago when Mark Kennedy scored a great winning goal and more recently when, against all the odds and down to 10 men, Jason McAteer scored a cracker against the Dutch to pave our way to the World Cup finals this summer. Those were great nights - and I'd remind your readers that Mick McCarthy was in charge.
Unfortunately, we Irish supporters appear to have developed very short memories. Ireland has a reputation of having "great" soccer fans and we engage in a lot of self-promotion and congratulation in this regard. All this was finally turned on its head last Wednesday night with the disgraceful reaction to a mediocre performance and poor result against the Swiss.
The "great" fans were shown to be what they really are - a vindictive bunch of fair-weather friends.
Mick McCarthy is not the greatest coach/manager in the world, but he did not deserve the jeers of the "fans" nor the humiliating chants of "Keano" towards the end of the game. It was only a few months ago that tens of thousands of people turned up in The Phoenix Park to welcome home the team and manager from the World Cup finals.
I also recall a friendly match earlier this year against Denmark when one of the Danish players, who supposedly played for Rangers, was booed every time he touched the ball. I suppose that might make us a vindictive bunch of sectarian fair-weather friends.
What has happened to watching sport for the sake of sport? - Yours, etc.,
PÁDRAIG KIERNAN,
Marley Rise,
Dublin 16.